Reckless browsing behavior is the main reason why people lose their crypto holdings stored in software wallets. Browsing dodgy websites with the same machine where your wallet is installed on is never a good idea. Opening suspicious links in emails out of curiosity can cost your money if malware gets installed successfully on your machine. From my experience as an IT security expert, I can tell that 99% of all people are just careless and not fully aware of the potential danger by not sticking to a few simple rules. Stick to the following three guidelines to increase your safety and reduce the risk of losing your cryptocurrencies:
1) Avoid browsing websites known for streaming the latest blockbuster, giving you access to porn or cracked software. Honestly, as soon as you cross the line and enter the world of warez, appz and gamez you literally ask for trouble. There is a reason why IT security became huge especially over the last couple of years. There is an endless list of harmful software coming from those sites. The worst case would be having your machine encrypted with ransomware. Even with the latest Antivirus program some of them can't be detected as the battle between cybercriminals and Antivirus business is constantly going on.
2) Be aware of what links you are going to click at! Ignore any links coming from phishing emails telling you that your account was suspended, etc. If you need to validate that your account is still working, always open the website, make sure your browser is showing a secured connection and start as usual. Don't follow links on any social media sites telling you that there is a new update available for your software wallet. Check the official website, download from official mirrors and validate your download through GPG encryption. I can't enforce this often enough! Validate downloads in general, especially when it comes to software wallets.
3) Update your Windows 10 system and install an Antivirus program. If you have the technical knowledge run your wallet on a separate disk or in a virtualized environment. Keeping your system up to date is as necessary as browsing the web consciously. This will simply reduce the risk of cybercriminals exploiting bugs in the software you use.
4) Whenever you can enable two-factor authentication. Please do this! The most important accounts should be protected with a multifactor authentication method. Stay away from phone or SMS as an authentication method, use Google's or Microsoft's authenticator app. This is as important as having none of your recovery seeds saved on the harddisk you are using on a daily basis.
Stay safe guys!
